Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Some Personalities About Judge Rea-
gan-Gossip About His Family.
Congressman Davis FloOred.
How Tom Ochiltree Introduced Himself to
Mr. Corcoran, the wealthy
Washington Banker.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1O.-Judge Reagan
will be the only farmer in the Senate. He
has been a practical farmer all his life.
| At the close OF the war ne went back to
| his home in Palestine and began farming
on G small scale. His land was poor and
SO was he. He had only d few dollars and
could not employ help necessary to make
| his agricultural pursuits successful. The
career of Judge Reagan has been remark
able, and he has now attained the seat in
| the Senate upon which he has toasted his
eyes for many years. He is over seventy
years of age, but comes from long-liyed
| family, and is still good for many years
usefulness. Three years ago he thought
/ his time to die had come. He had q
dangerous maady and his life
hung between death and an
| operation which might result fatally. He
! took the slim chance for life and sub
mitted TO an operation. DR.. Lincoln of
/ this city performed the difficult and deli
cate piece Of surgery, and for several
days his greatest fear was that the nerv-
Gus shock to Reagan's constitution would
kill him. He withstood the effect on his
system and is now model of physical
health. Judge Reagan has been married
twice and has six children living, three
of whom were by q former wife, all of
whom are married. His present family
consists OF his wife and three children-a
daughter, Mollie, pretty miss Of seven
teen summers; JEFF Davis Reagan, q
bright lad Of fifteen, and Mills, eight
years Of age, who is the pride of the Rea-
gan household. One day last summer
while Mills was in Washington, he yisi
ed the capitol with his father,
and went up in the eleva-
tor. to the commerce committee room
Mills is great fayorite with Mr.. ChaOle,
the efficient and popular clerk of the COM
mttee. and they are fast friends. Hoo.
IL. =. DAVIS of Massachusetts, member
Of the committee, was sitting in the room
and noticed the boy. Mr.. Chable told
Mills to say, GLOW do you do" TO MIR.
Davis. The little fellow walked over tC
Mr.. Davis chair, extended his hand, an
said: Good morning, Mr.. Davis; Pm
glad to see you. Are you the gentleman
my brother JEFF is named after ?" The
puritGniCal Republican member greatly
enjoyed the joke, and has been widely
chafed by his colleagues on the commit
tee aud in the House. In mis- domestic
life the new Senator is a model of kind
ness and is devoted to his family. He
never speaks a cross word, and he was
never known to swear. He is
poor man and has nothing besides
mis- salary Of $1,000 year, which
is small sum indeed TO support
family on in Washington. Judge Reagan
is popular member of the House and
was warmly congratulated last Monday on
his good fortune in securing the Senator
u, D ,,,,ll
the Democrats in the House where he
has served SO long, SO faithfully, and so
we'll.
They are telling good story on Tom
Ochiltree now which causes him to
vince. II seems that Tom attended one
of the meetings of the National Jockey
Club here. Somebody told him the NIL
lionaire Washington banker, W. W.
Corcoran, was present. Tom oristied up
Immediately and said confidently:
'Where is my old friend COrcoran?
want to see him" Finally the banker
IVES found in the crowd, and Tom rush
ed frautically up to him, seized him by
both hands, and told him how glad he
was to see him alive and looking so well.
Mr.. Corcoran looked al 0chiltree
for several moments, tried to recall his
acquaintance and replied: Greatly, sir,
yea have the advantage of me-" where
upon Ocniltree said: "Why, Mr.. COrcOr-
an, don't you remember me? Pm Tom
Ochiltree.n Mr.. Corcoran arranged
his glasses, and catching Toms left optic
said calmly: 81 thought Tom Ochiltree
was horse" And for moment guess
Mr.. CorcOran was right, judging by the
rapidity Of Toms flight.
at Masonic celebration reCently.held
in Fredericksburg, Va, Congressman
Allen of Massachusetts, g young msn
from the Lowell district, told a good
story, which perhaps will be new in Tex
as, although since the celebration the
story has been widely circulated. lie
was down for 4 toast at the banquet, with
eight other speakers, and he had also
earlier in the evening made
a long address at the
opera house. When his turn came
10 respond, be SAID the amount of speak
ing he had been doing that evening rc
minded him of q story to this effect
There was once an old lady of great
piety, TO whom q sea captain had given 3
parrot, warranted to be moral in tone gnd
pure in speech. The bird YVES duly
adopted, and for yesrs conducted itself
properly, quoting scripture, and in every
other way proving great consolation t.
the old lady. One day, however, change
came over the spirit of its dreams, and,
as it sat on its perch by the door, it began
to scream all sorts of insulting and
ribald speeches at everything that
passed. Everybody was surprised, pat
no one noticed 1t until dog came along.
lie objected, and, tackling the parrot,
terrific conflict ensued, the dog wrestling
the bird all over the ground. and finally
getting it into q corner, where he pulled
half Its feathers out and left it total
wreck. After q few minutes the bird re-
covered sufficiently TO get on It's feet, and
it then hoped slowly back and climbing
up on its perch once more, shook itself
and ruefully soliloquzsd: Polly, Polly,
YOU talk TOO d muCh.'n
This unique apology was received with
shouts OF applause, not the least enthus
iastic being the ladies, who were present
in large numbers.